Reading glasses are an inevitability for most people, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for the $10 pair from the drug store with cheap lenses and little beads hanging off the temples…

It’s going to happen to everyone and you can’t fight it but that doesn’t mean that you have to get a boring pair from the drugstore down the street! Reading glasses (or readers) are a pair of glasses that help with close vision for activities like reading. Today many different, designer brands have been making stylish reading glasses that are cost effective, and for those who are not ready for bifocals.

Who needs reading glasses?

Deteriorating close vision is a symptom of an extremely common condition called Presbyopia. There is no treatment for Presbyopia because it is a natural phenomena that happens to our eyes as we get older. When we reach our forties, the lenses in our eyes start becoming less malleable, and it becomes more difficult for them to easily bend into the correct shape for up close vision. That means that activities like reading and driving can become more difficult. This is when adults in their forties begin to hold up books and menus at arms length to read them!

Why don’t I just get bifocals?

Bifocal lenses are for people who need help with both far and near vision. The line of the bifocals can also be difficult to get used to. Bifocals can cost up to double what reading glasses do. Progressive lenses (which are like bifocals, but without an annoying line) can cost even more. If you are looking for a solution for just close vision, reading glasses are your best bet! Reading glasses come in six, generic powers that fit a majority of people (+1.00, +1.50, +1.75, +2.00, +2.25, +2.50, +3.00).

But reading glasses are ugly!

But they don’t have to be! Certain brands such as Private Eyes Readers and Corinne McCormack make beautiful readers that are fashion forward, professional, and not too expensive. If you need sunglasses, well-known sunglasses brands like Costa and Maui Jim make Costa C-Mates and Maui Jim Readers, which still have the style and innovation that is associated with the Costa and Maui Jim names, but at a more affordable cost!
More questions about reading glasses? Check out these awesome reading glasses below and our reading glasses page at FramesDirect.com!!

The eyewear pictured below isn’t for adults, it’s for kids! Today, large eyewear companies like Lilly Pulitzer, Penguin, and Ray-Ban have begun creating kids eyewear. These new eyeglasses and sunglasses are not traditional “kid glasses”, but smaller version of adult bestsellers to ensure that your kids will love them, and more importantly, wear them.

Symptoms from not wearing glasses are headaches, blurry vision, and fatigue. This effects grades in school and confidence levels in extracurricular activities. Its important to pick out a pair of glasses that your kids will love and will want to wear everyday. A pair that is comfortable, durable, and trendy.

More and more children, preteens, and teens are demanding more “adult” looking frames that remind them of what they see on their parents, and what they see on TV. Traditionally, kids glasses were styled as, well, “kids” glasses. They featured cartoon characters with over the top patterns and colors. But, as more teens and preteens start wearing glasses, demand for more fashion forward options has emerged.

Today, tops brands are simply creating “kid-sized” versions of their most popular, adult glasses. Now, teens and preteens can wear the same frames as their favorite TV stars and musicians (which means they will actually wear their glasses). This school year, make sure you get your child their annual eye exam, and make sure that you get them a pair of frames they’ll love!

Here are some awesome, trendy children’s eyewear options you can find on FramesDirect.com

Recently, Framesdirect.com added the Paul Smith Collection by Oliver Peoples to the long list of amazing designer brands we offer.

Sir Paul Smith is an English designer who is known for creating timeless, English designs.

Oliver Peoples is known for its superior craftsmanship, high quality materials,and amazing designers.

Paul Smith Eyeglasses are modern, sophisticated, and are available in many different colors to fit your personal style.

Paul Smith Sunglasses feature classic shapes such as Clubmasters and Key-Hole Bridges. These festival friendly frames create a fun and retro look that flatters most face types and would match any style.

Sporty Sunglasses Lenses come in a variety of colors and options from vermillian to bright blue. FramesDirect.com knows that it can be confusing when choosing the right lens color for your needs.

If you are still trying to figure out what kind of sunglasses fit well with your sport of choice, visit our handy Sunglasses Infographic, but if you have the frames and are not sure which color lenses you need, here is a short explanation of which colors are meant for what activities.

Dark Colors (Brown, Black, Grey, Green)

Dark colored lenses are your typical, sunglasses lenses. They are used for everyday activities like hiking, driving, and swimming. These colors tend to cut down on glare, and are good for outdoor activities that, without sunglasses, would require a lot of squinting. If you are looking for a color that is fashion forward and can be used for a variety of outside activities green is the color for you! For a more toned down, classic look, stick with staple colors like black, grey, and brown.

Light Colors

Most light colored lenses make your environment appear lighter. This does not mean, however, that they cannot provide 100% UV protection. Light colored lenses are normally specialty lenses. For example, yellow lenses filter blue light from computer screens, and are also good for cutting through fog and other low-light situations. Other colors like pink or red lenses reduce eye strain, and provide contrast for low-light activities such as hiking in the evening. For more information on specific colors, check out our Lens Color Guide, or take a look below at this nifty chart!

We known that choosing the right lens color can be overwhelming, but once you have the perfect lens and frame combo, you can turn your sunglasses into a customized fashion statement!

Fourth of July is upon us, and that means celebration and fireworks! In celebration of Independence Day, and the opportunity to be with family and friends, Framesdirect.com has compiled our top celebration frames! And what says celebration better than glitter? For those of us looking to mix it up this year, why not choose a pair of frames that will make you stand out no matter where you go. Here is a collection of our shiniest, glittery-est frames!

1. KATE SPADE LYSSA EYEGLASSES

These beautiful Kate Spade pink, glitter frames perfectly capture the Kate Spade lifestyle. Kate Spade is known for being a funky fashion line that uses bright, bold colors, and cute textures and cutouts. These semi-rimless, pink, cat eyes feature different colored glitter embedded into the pink acetate. Available in multiple colors, these frames are perfect for the fashionista looking to shake it up this season!

2. DOLCE & GABBANA DG3167 – LIP GLOSS EYEGLASSES

For a more toned down look that still is highlighted with traditional, gold glitter, look no further than these sleek and professional Dolce & Gabbana frames. Perfect for someone looking for just a hint of something shiny, Dolce & Gabbana makes glitter frames accessible and sensible!

3. GUCCI GG3629 EYEGLASSES

These red, Gucci frames feature gold glitter inlaid in the signature, Gucci pattern highlighted on the temples. These beautiful frames are made of acetate, which is durable and easy to clean. The style and fit of the frames work on a variety of face shapes, and because they’re Gucci, you know they’ll be in style for awhile!

4. KATE SPADE CHANDRA/S SUNGLASSES

Kate Spade’s fun and trendy frames are always out of the box. White acetate frames are overlaid with transparent, gold glitter acetate on the temples and frame front for a stylish and clean look. These sunglasses are perfect for a weekend getaway or just hanging out with friends at a weekend barbecue. Available in different colors, this Kate Spade frame is one of our favorites!

5. CARRERA CA6000/JC/S BY JIMMY CHOO SUNGLASSES

Any collaboration between anyone and Jimmy Choo is bound to be a win in our opinion. Jimmy Choo has been a design powerhouse based in London since the early 1990s, and his collaboration with Carrera Eyewear has yielded these glittery, Wayfarer-style shades. Available in transparent/gold glitter, and black/gold glitter, this revamp of a frame classic is perfect for those looking to update their retro style.

It’s the biggest season for sunglasses (although we’re year-round fans), and if there’s a brand we carry that gets summer style—it’s Kate Spade. Above we put together an outfit that epitomizes summer ease. It’s both simple and chic. In fact, the only layering you’ll be doing for this outfit is layering on your Kate Spade accessories!

For this look, we started with a basic striped dress that’s far from basic. The classic black and white stripes will never go out of style. To add a little pop of color to the look, we added the Cedar Street bag in the color fresh air and a complimentary pink shade for the lips. And because comfort is king, go ahead and lace up our favorite sneakers by Superga. Last, but certainly not least, slide on your Kate Spade sunglasses. The style above is the BRIGIT/S in black/brown with a brown gradient lens. The touch of light brown on the top of the frame will instantly elevates your look. Whether you’re running errands or meeting friends for brunch—this look is sure to be a weekend winner.

FramesDirect.com was founded in 1996, and we still have employees that have been around since the beginning! FramesDirect.com is all about the FramesDirect.com family, so we thought we would spotlight one of our longest working employees: Jennifer .

So can you give a short bio about yourself?

Sure! I was born in Sugarland, Texas and right now I live in Northern California, by Napa, on Travis Air Force base. So, I stayed in the same house growing up, never moved anywhere. Same house as when I was 3 years old, and my parents still live there. Then when I graduated from A&M, my husband and I got married and started moving from then on because he was in the Air Force. Now we have two kids, a little boy, 7, Cooper, and then my daughter, Kinsley is 5.How did you get started working for FramesDirect.com?

Well, I worked in the office full time for them, the doctors, when I first graduated for almost two years, but I’ve worked here since I was 16, part time seasonally, holidays, and things like that. I remember filing papers in the small hallway in the Houston office. The doctors that started the company were there at my bridal shower, at my wedding, and they were there when I was pregnant.

I got the job because they were my eye doctors. Ironically, I was in a car accident when I was a senior and I went in because I was having double vision and I couldn’t see, and my head was hurting. They diagnosed me with glaucoma, and all this whiplash stuff […] and they did emergency surgery the next day. So they started out as my eye doctors, because my mother worked in the same building as them.

What do you do for FramesDirect.com?

So, I’m operations manager, essentially I split the role. It’s defined pretty clearly in the sense that I deal more with the fulfillment side as far as making sure the ordering department gets product in, and things like that. So my position more so revolves around the vendor side of things [rather than] customer service.

So you have longstanding relationships with the vendor reps?

Our old Oakley rep is a really good friend of mine, I mean, he’s not our rep anymore, as long as we’ve moved to Austin, but he recently moved out to

Cali and we remained friends. You build these relationships with these people and you learn about their kids, and we mail Christmas cards and presents to each other!

What do you like best about working at FramesDirect.com?

Initially, it was working for the doctors, because they were such good people, but there hasn’t been much of a change since the move. I grew up with the company. I really enjoy my job and that I can still spend time with my family. Also, working with all our employees, you really get to enjoy them and get to know them.

Okay, maybe not the jungle, but one chic eyewear shop that happens to feature the latest animal printed eyewear from your favorite top designer brands. It’s been said that animal print is the new neutral–and we believe this to be true. If you find yourself too intimidated to jump into a full animalistic style, we suggest starting off with a more muted tortoise like this Stella McCartney frame or try a touch of leopard with this Givenchy frame. The print is a bit more subtle, but still offers a touch of edge.

It’s the time of year to thank dad for all of the broken things he fixed, games he coached, and moments he was there for you when you needed him most. To help you find the perfect gift for dear ol’ dad, we created a gift guide to make shopping simple. If you don’t see anything on this guide, feel free to shop our huge selection at FramesDirect.com. No matter what you find for him this Father’s Day, we’re sure he’ll beam with pride.

Typical summer situation by the pool: you and your friends have been lying out all day, using sunscreen, like good, wrinkle-fearing adults, and you have taken every precaution to avoid a sunburn, but what about your eyes? Those plastic lenses that they hand out at Bonnaroo are definitely not protecting you, especially if you have light colored eyes (blue, grey, green, mixed). As Americans, we will pay to have multiple (albeit gorgeous and totally worth it) leather purses, but we can’t seem to find the money to buy ourselves some good, prescription or non prescription, sunglasses?

So, seriously, how bad is it?

According to the new UV Report by the Vision Council “1 in 4 Americans rarely or never wear sunglasses” and Millennials (born 1981-1996) are the least likely to wear them. So to answer your question, it’s bad. If you don’t protect them, your eyes can get sunburnt. Sunburned Eyes or photokeratitis can make you go blind for up to 48 hours and definitely will cause long term damage like cataracts or degenerative eye diseases. Also, eye damage from the sun is cumulative, which means that the other six months of the year that you spend indoors does not make up for not using sunglasses at the beach. But it’s not all degenerative eye diseases and blindness, the Vision Council also reports that, in general, Americans just underestimate the power of UV rays because we are so good at interacting with them on a daily basis.

So when should you be wearing sunglasses?

So to start, UV rays reflect off of the water during rainy days, and can shine through clouds on cloudy days, and that would seem like common knowledge, but just because Americans know about it, doesn’t mean they are changing their habit. According to the report, “2 in 3 leave eyes unguarded on cloudy or rainy days”. Shame Shame. Did you know that 25% of UV rays also can bounce of concrete and dry sand? That’s right, you should be wearing protective sunglasses during sand volleyball and while strutting the streets shopping. Pretty much the only time you should not be conscious of eye protection, is when it’s dark outside, or when you’re inside.

Transitions® (or photochromic) lenses are one of the coolest inventions in lenses since they were invented in the 1960s. We have all seen the commercial of the attractive executive who walks into the sun and doesn’t have sunglasses (oh no!) until his glasses change and his eyes are now protected (phew) . But there is one place they don’t perform to their potential, and that is in you car. In this article, we’re going to explain to you why and when it might be necessary to just buy a stylish pair of shades for driving.

First, let’s talk polarized.

Basically, regular sunglasses filter a certain type of UV light (UVA and UVB) and not others. Mostly, they just filter the ones from the sun. Polarized lenses filter the ones from the sun, and everything else (glare from other cars, glare from water, etc.) so they’re good to have around at times. So, basically, this has nothing to do with why your Transitions® won’t work with your windshield. Where polarized lenses fail, is when it comes to LCD screens like your phone or your on-board navigation when you’re driving.This is what causes those pretty rainbows everywhere when you’re sporting your polarized lenses.

Transition lenses work by darkening when they are exposed to any kind of UV radiation.

Transitions® lenses are called photochromic lenses and they block 100% of all UVA and UVB rays just like sunglasses, which is the point, right? However, this also means that they will react to your office lights that let off some low-powered rays, so that means you’ll get a “hint of tint” for the office, which may not go away. This is important because your windshield works the exact same way. I’m sure you see where I’m going with this.

Transitions + Windshield = “Hint of Tint”

So, we have Transitions® lenses that block all kinds of UV rays, and we have your windshield that does the exact same thing. This means that there’s nothing to react with the Transitions® lenses to make them want to turn darker, and they aren’t polarized, so they’re not reacting to the glare of cars, water, and snow around you. This is why you end up with slightly tinted lenses in your car, and why they aren’t picking up on the glare of the cars around you, or those really bright headlights late at night.

If you don’t spend much time in the car, Transitions® may be your best option, especially since the folks at Transitions® are coming out with newer and better generations each year to get rid of the “hint of tint” and to make them polarized. While Transitions® is on the project, it might be safer to buy a pair of prescriptions sunglasses for the car in the interim, especially if you spend a majority of your day commuting.

Founded by Mario Prada in the beginning of the 20th century, the Prada name has come to mean more than a last name, but instead, Prada has become synonymous with luxury and craftsmanship. Miuccia Prada, the granddaughter of Mario Prada, made the company infamous by marketing her new line of handbags to high end department stores and boutiques, which also made the brand more high fashion and edgy.

Prada pushes boundaries and has created a name for itself with its edgy looks, contrasting colors, and its independent, rebellious style. Its collections are always striving to break fashion precedents, while still playing on classic staples. More famous than Prada lenses, are the traditional Prada handbags with the signature Prada logo. Some lenses are inspired by these handbags. This line is perfect for the shopper who loves a creative twist on anything classic.